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Is it Safe to Buy James Young Hype?

By Joshua Bateman

Mar 16, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard James Young (13) drives the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kyle Singler (5) in the second half at TD Garden. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Celtics 130-109. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard James Young (13) drives the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kyle Singler (5) in the second half at TD Garden. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Celtics 130-109. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Is there reason to be more optimistic about James Young this offseason?

It feels as though every season the same process is undergone with James Young. The offseason looks promising, Young shows flashes of the scoring ability that made him a fan favourite pick, only to see all that hope shattered the moment the regular season comes around. That being said, it is easy to forget that Young is one of the youngest players on the Boston Celtics and his physical development could finally pay off now that the pressure to get a roster spot is mounting.

James Young was drafted because of his potential to score and time and time again he has shown flashes of that potential, only to fail miserably when reaching the NBA. Young has also had to deal with the Celtics drafting an incredible core of guards that flourish defensively, making it difficult for him to ever get a good enough role.

Young has never played significant enough minutes in the NBA to gauge the numbers he put up. The bottom line, however, is he has the potential to have one of the most complete offensive arsenals on the team. They desperately need his potential as a three point shooter and he could go a long ways in improving one of the worst shooting teams in the league all over the court.

So far in summer league play, Young has earned the hype. He has been a fluid and effective scorer. He has pout up numbers in bursts, has been aggressive and has been playing within the rhythm of the offense.

All these signs are pointing to Young fitting in exactly how he needs to in Steven’s offense, while having the ability to take advantage of the great opportunities it creates. Once again, however, expectations need to be tempered.

On top of the fact that we have gone through this before with Young, there have been players that have proven they deserve a spot over him. A guard spot in the rotation opened up with the loss of Evan Turner, but that is Terry Rozier‘s role for the taking and he was the MVP in the first potion of summer league play.

Apr 6, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) tries to hang onto the ball as a New Orleans Pelicans hand reaches in during the second half of the Boston Celtics 104-97 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) tries to hang onto the ball as a New Orleans Pelicans hand reaches in during the second half of the Boston Celtics 104-97 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

The Celtics depend too much on the defense of their guards, and unless Young shows the ability to have the kind of offensive impact that Isaiah Thomas has (which is an incredible long shot at best), he will struggle to get into the rotation. The Celtics need his scoring, but the defensive drop off could be too important.

The Celtics have stressed the importance of two ways players and an underdeveloped Young was always going to be too much of a liability in too many areas. That does leave open some hope. Young may stand to benefit the most from physical development, and he has proven that he will put in the work that is necessary. The biggest problem is he is eventually going to run out of time, and the margin for error is shrinking on a growing team.

While James Young’s stock is rapidly rising, there remains no reason to be more optimistic this season than any other year. Until room opens up in the rotation there are simply too many players ahead of him on the depth chart. Even R.J Hunter had a more significant role than Young as a rookie.

The scoring hype with Young is nothing new and should do very little to change someone’s perspective on him. The time to start buying the Young hype is when he starts showing more potential on the defensive end and more potential to take over a game the way Rozier has been so far in the summer league.

Young does not need to be a standout defender, but he needs to be a capable defender. The addition of Al Horford will make a huge difference to their overall defense, making them depend less on the defense of their guards. That being said, there are multiple players ahead of Young that have tremendous potential as two way players.

Young needs to prove that he is developed enough physically to have some kind of impact on the defensive end. Once that is established, Young has shown those flashes of offensive potential that could blow up in a great offensive system.

Next: Danny Ainge Played the Offseason Perfectly

It’s easy to forget how young Young is and the fact that he remains one of the youngest players on the team makes it difficult to see a scenario where he takes over a significant role in the rotation this year. That being said, the offseason is still in it’s early stages and if Young can continue to impress, Stevens may have no choice other than to give him his opportunity.

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